Thursday, January 29, 2015

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at
peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for
God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the
Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty,
give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his
head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:18-21

Living at peace with everyone seems like such impossibility. If
you knew what I had to deal with, you would understand how this can’t happen.
Why even try?

There is a key phrase here: “as far as it depends on you.” If
someone is being unreasonable, then we can still be reasonable. We can’t do
anything to make an unreasonable person more reasonable, but we also don’t have
to jump off of the bridge with them. Remember what our mothers used to say.

Revenge is not our job. It’s God’s job. We live in a ruthless
world that likes to see people get what we think they deserve. As Norm Peterson
from Cheers says, “It’s a dog eat dog world, and I’m wearing Milkbone
underwear.” If we take “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” to its
natural conclusion, we would all end up toothless and blind.

God is the only One qualified to judge. He is the only One who
knows the thoughts and intentions of people’s hearts (Hebrews 4:12). We only
know part of the story. God knows the whole thing.

We have a choice. We can refuse to allow the evil that has
overtaken them to overtake us. Our desire for revenge is proclaiming victory
for our enemies. Just like removing our shoes and getting scanned at airport
security is a small victory for terrorists.

People are not our enemies. In fact, all of us have a common enemy
whose only purpose is to “kill and steal and destroy” (John 10:10).
Fortunately, Jesus came to give us an abundant life. But, God isn’t going to let
evil run rampant forever.

One day God will judge everyone who has ever lived – the Quick and
the Dead (Acts 10:42, KJV). Evil will finally be eradicated from this world.
And, all of the people who possess evil will perish along with it.

What if the person who is giving you grief came to Christ? How
could God change them? If the person is a believer, what freedom could they
experience?

It’s easy to be Christ-like toward those who are Christ-like. But,
when people act beneath who they are, sometimes we feel justified in treating
them with a different standard. Our goal as Christians is not to live the
Christian life well. Our goal is to allow Jesus to live His life through us. We
shouldn’t try to become better Christians as much as we should try to get out
of God’s way.

God calls us to love all of the people that He loves, which is
actually all people. This means that He calls us to love the people who oppose
us – people we regard as enemies. That is a difficult calling. But, what makes
the impossible possible is that God’s callings are His enablings. He doesn’t
require us to do anything that He won’t enable us to do.

What relationship seems impossible to you? Who would top your
enemies’ list? How can you pray for them? How can God work in you to make you
into the person that He desires for you to be in spite of them?

This is no easy task. Our efforts will quickly fall short. “Nothing
is impossible with God” (Matthew 19:26). Are you ready to experience His
supernatural work in your life?

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is
a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have
seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this
command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

1 John 4:20-21

We can’t love God without loving who God loves. And, God
loves everyone (John 3:16). Does that mean that we have to love people like
Adolf Hitler or Benito Mussolini or Osama bin Laden? Actually, no, because
they’re all dead.

It’s easy to love God. He is always there for us. He loved
us first. God will never leave us and never forsake us. He has never offended
us or sinned against us. God is easy to love.

People are a different story. They irritate and offend us.
They are often moody and stubborn. And, to be honest, so are we.

No person has sinned against us to the degree that he has
sinned against God. Yet, God loves the sinner. God gave His Son to save him.
God’s heart toward him is always toward reconciliation. God knows everything
about him, even his thoughts and heart motivations (Hebrews 4:12; Matthew 7:1-6),
yet God loves that person lavishly. And, God has the same attitude toward us.

Hatred is the end result of perpetuated anger (go back two
days in the devotionals this week). Hatred is a form of judgment. Hatred says
that the offender deserves my wrath. God says that the offender needs
forgiveness. Where God sees potential, hatred pronounces a sentence. When we
hate others, we find ourselves at cross-purposes with God. That’s not a
comfortable location.

But, forgiveness is not always easy. If someone steps on my
foot and says, “I’m sorry.” That’s easy to forgive. It was an accident. They
didn’t mean to hurt me. But, some people mean to hurt us.

When the brokenness in them interferes with the brokenness
in me, we create a hateful mess. It’s hard to rise above when we find ourselves
continually stuck in the muck. It requires something greater than us.

If we possess the love of God, we have the ability to forgive
– anything. How? There is nothing unforgivable to God, except not seeking
forgiveness (Matthew 12:31).

People can certainly test us. Some can push our buttons and
manipulate us. That never feels good. But, our battle is not against other people.
Our battle is spiritual (Ephesians 6:12). The enemy will do whatever he can to
get us all stirred up and at odds with each other. Division and disunity are
two of the devils most powerful weapons.

Now, I’m not saying that we should advocate that “the devil
made me do it.” But, we can’t deny that he is the force behind evil in the
world. When people are misguided, wounded, selfish, insecure or prideful, they
get caught up in the devil’s schemes. We can relate. We’re people.

Jesus instructs us to “love your enemies and pray for those
who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Bless the people who have wronged you. Wish
them well. Don’t rehearse all of the things that they’ve done wrong. Remember
the things that they do well.

Who do you feel hatred toward today? God doesn’t want you to
live there. Ask God how you can forgive them and move on. God has the power you
need to overcome this.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you
to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may
hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and
you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you
have paid the last penny. Matthew 5:25-26

Every conflict ends in one of two directions: you either have kept
a friend or created an enemy. The “friend” route can be anything from “let’s
agree to disagree” and tolerate each other to “let’s forgive and forget.” The
“enemy” route ranges from a quiet resentment to angry outbursts.

There is a middle road – the passive-aggressive approach, which
says that “I will treat you like a friend for now, but when the time is right,
you’re done.” Remember, passive-aggressives will always get you in the end.

The choice is ours. Will we pursue forgiveness or frustration?
Reconciliation or resentment? Unless we intentionally decide to sever the
relationship, which never makes it actually go away, the only path is
forgiveness.

Forgiveness is not time consuming. Getting ourselves to a place
where we are willing to forgive just might be. But, the longer we allow an
unresolved conflict to hang out there, the more trouble it becomes. This is why
Jesus encourages us to keep short accounts.

It’s not our job to punish someone else for their faults by
withholding our forgiveness and our relationship. God is the only rightful
judge who can decide such punishments (Acts 17:30-31).

Paul said not to let the sun go down on our anger (Ephesians
4:26-27). If we’ve offended someone or vice versa, the biblical timing is to
resolve the issue by day’s end. If we let problems linger, then it tends to get
blown out of proportion and to involve people who shouldn’t be involved.

Relationships are hard work. Unless you are completely detached
and slightly in denial, there will always be friction between human beings. Any
relationship that is worthwhile is high-maintenance. Auto-pilot in
relationships always ends with a crash landing.

Now, rather than beating yourself up about how you should have
handled things in the past, what is on your agenda to resolve today? Where do
you need to make a step toward reconciliation? Don’t just “Bless their hearts.”
How can you actually work to resolve it? What do you need to confess to them?
What do you need to apologize for? Don’t hesitate. The time is now.

Reconciliation may or may not follow. Time will tell on that.
Forgiveness is the start.

Monday, January 26, 2015

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and
there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave
your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then
come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23-24

One summer on the way to church camp, my then girlfriend passed a
note to me. The note said basically, “It’s not you. It’s me. Can we just be
friends?” I had wondered why she didn’t want to sit next to me on the bus. I’m
very perceptive about these things.

At the next rest stop, I headed for the bathroom and, uh, donated
my breakfast from that morning. I wasn’t taking it very well, even though the
romance had lasted all of 30 days.

Once we got to camp, I was fully immersed in all of the activities
and church services. I plunged headfirst into the deep end of the divine. Who
needed a girlfriend anyway?

One evening following the service, I was kneeling at the altar in
the front of the Tabernacle. The building looked more like a barn with red,
yellow and orange shag carpet. But, it had a very spiritual sounding name.

I earnestly sought after God. And, God basically said to me,
“Buddy, you’re wasting your time. You need to go find the girl and make things
right.” You see in my quest to pursue God and leave her in the dust, I had been
slinging a little mud too.

I went outside and found her. I apologized. She cussed me out. I
went back to the Tabernacle to once again earnestly seek God feeling that I had
done my part to make things right and having confirmation that she was not the
girl for me.

How often are we at odds with others, then we think we can show up
to church and get our praise on? We might sing songs. We might get a little
emotional. But, in God’s ears, it’s just a bunch of noise. Our worship is
coming from our lips, but not from our hearts.

If you think about it, if the light of Christ doesn’t impact the
darkness of our souls, then there’s something really twisted about what we call
worship. Often we treat worship like the old bath soap commercial, “Calgon,
take me away.” But, before Jesus will take us away, He expects us to deal with
our stuff.

In this passage, Jesus paints a scenario where we have
offended someone. In Matthew 18, He teaches about handling situations when
someone else offends us (Matthew 18:15). Here’s the kicker: whether we offended
them or they offended us, Jesus instructs us to take the initiative toward
reconciliation in both scenarios.

“But, that’s not fair,” you protest. As I’ve written before,
you want better than “fair.” (BLOG REF).

Who are you at odds with right now? How is it interfering
with your worship? If it’s not, then be concerned about that too. It’s time to
take responsibility for your actions. It’s time to own up to your shortcomings,
regardless of theirs.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You
shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I
tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to
judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable
to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of
hell. Matthew 5:21-22

The path seems very long between anger and murder. While I
doubt that a murder has ever been committed without anger or rage, anger seems
to only be the trailhead on that journey. After all, murder is a terrible
thing. We would never do that. But, we might get angry.

Carol Tavris, in her book, Anger: The Misunderstood Emotion,
teaches that anger is only a present emotion. Some people think that we have
this vast reservoir of anger. In order to feel better we have to open the flood
gates and get our anger out. But, according to Tavris, anger is only a present
emotion. To stay anger, we have to keep ourselves angry.

Much like a campfire that will soon die out when it has
consumed all of its fuel, anger will also dissipate if we starve its fuel
source. Staying angry is much like stoking a fire. Even when the person who
angered us says something clever, we might find ourselves tempted to give them
a smile. Then, we pull the smile back and remind ourselves of the detestable
thing that they did and make ourselves angry once again.

The tricky part is that anger, in its root form, is an
emotion. Whether it provokes a violent explosion or a quiet smoldering, anger
is a reaction to our circumstances. Even, Jesus became angry at the practices
of the money changers at the temple. He erupted into a rant about making His
Father’s house a den of thieves and proceeded to knock over their tables
(Matthew 21:12-13). Yet, Jesus was without sin (1 Peter 2:22).

The Bible says, ““In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the
sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold”
(Ephesians 4:26-27). The implication is that we can be angry and not sin as
well. Anger happens. The question is what we intend on doing with it.

In today’s passage from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was
pointing out that the same sinfulness that leads to murder also involves
perpetuated anger, insults, and even name calling. While angry words don’t lead
to incarceration or capital punishment like murder often does, all of the sins
Jesus named cause a disconnect in our relationship with God and allow an entry
point for the devil’s work.

Whether our sins are unacceptable criminal acts or
“acceptable” sins, it’s still sin. Sin always takes a toll on us. Sin always
gets in the way of our relationship with God. Sin is always an unnatural act
for a human being. It’s not who we were designed to be.

Often we excuse our “minor” sins by saying, “Well, you know,
we’re just sinners saved by grace.” In his book, The Good and Beautiful God,
James Bryan Smith equates that statement with a butterfly saying, “I’m just a
worm with wings.”

There are plenty of things to be angry about in the world.
Injustice and inhumanity are intolerable. Mistreatment can easily provoke our
wrath. But, if we continue to feed our anger, then we’ve become one of them.

What are you angry about? The antidote to anger is
forgiveness. It’s not letting the offender off the hook. Forgiveness is costly.
Just consider the price that Jesus paid for your sin. Forgiveness is not easy,
but it is necessary. Unresolved anger leads to dark, dangerous places.
Forgiveness will free you. Don’t you want to be free?

Thursday, January 22, 2015

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one
and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and money.”

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were
sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in
the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is
detestable in God’s sight.

Luke 16:13-15

Verses like these cause a lot of people to stop reading and turn
the page. They provoke guilt feelings and old Bob Dylan references – “You’re
got to serve somebody” after all.

If money were merely a thing, it wouldn’t be a big deal. It would
be a means to an end. Yet, Jesus recognized serving money as an alternative to
serving God. It’s not merely fiscal. Money is a force. No wonder we get so up
in arms about it.

Money talks. We run into trouble, when as Rick Warren says, “Our
net worth determines our self-worth.” We can allow money to put a price tag on
our efforts. Paychecks and commissions define who we are and what we can
accomplish. It eludes us into believing that chasing after more of it will
satisfy us. But, more doesn’t satisfy – only God satisfies.

Then, there are those who have money and believe that it entitles
them to do what they want, to say what they want, and to control others. There
is a big difference between acting god-like and being godly. There is no evil
in money (1 Timothy 6:10), but are they using their affluence for influencing
others for Christ (Luke 16:9)?

I know what you’re thinking – can we get off of this money thing
already? But, here’s the deal – Jesus is just going to hit us up with this again
in a few weeks anyway (Matthew 6:19-24).

The bottom line is this: do you have money or does money have you?
What’s odd is that people who make a good living, but aren’t rich, tend to
struggle with greed more than the truly wealthy. Why? We’re deceived into
thinking that money will make us comfortable, secure, better looking, and more
likeable. Think again.

Many people with money don’t know who their true friends are. They
have to call into question every invitation from every person. “Do they want to
get to know me for me or for my money?” On top of that, the more stuff you
have, the more stuff you have to worry about, insure, replace.

Jesus was simply saying, “If you’re going to pick a god to serve,
then choose one who can completely satisfy you, provide significance to your
life, meet all of your needs, give you security, and be a pleasure to serve.”
Hint here – it’s not money.

Years ago I heard a story of a man on vacation on the beach
in Mexico. He came upon a Mexican fisherman who was fishing from the shore. The
man would fish for half of a day, sell his fish and go home. The vacationer
challenged the fisherman to work a full day, so he could afford a boat.

The fisherman asked, “Why would I do that?”

The vacationer replied, “Well, if you get a boat, then
you’ll catch more fish, which can help you to acquire more boats. Eventually,
you will need your own warehouses, processing plant, brand, marketing, and
sales force. Then, when your company has grown sufficiently, you can sell it to
a multinational conglomerate and retire. Wouldn’t it be great to retire well?
What will you do when you retire?”

The fisherman smiled and answered, “When I retire, I will
fish for half a day from the shore, and then go home.”

The problem with running the rat race is that even if you
win, you’re still a rat. What are you pouring your life into? What are you
pursuing? If you catch it, what will you do with it? What will it do with you?
“Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor”
(Proverbs 21:21).

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have
neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and
faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the
former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

Matthew
23:23-24

Most of us would prefer not to know what goes on in the
cockpit of a commercial airplane. We would like to assume that the pilots are
capable, well-trained, alert, well-rested tea-totalers who will get us there
safely. Once that cockpit door is shut, we prefer to imagine Captain Sully
Sullenberger at the controls (just as Bob Moore did on USAir Flight 1549).
Ignorance is bliss.

The failsafe of aviation is auto-pilot. I’m not a pilot.
I’ve never played one on TV, but I do know that when our tray tables are in the
upright and locked position, the pilot is running the show. But, between the
takeoff and the landing, the plane is on autopilot. If something needs
attention, the plane will alert the pilot. Otherwise, they just sit back,
relax, and enjoy the flight with the rest of us.

While on autopilot, there’s time to nap or play Soduku or
watch Airplane the Movie. As long as the pilot doesn’t need to ditch the plane
into the Hudson, it’s blue skies all of the way.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day lived their spiritual
lives on autopilot. Ten percent went to God. Ninety percent was kept for them.
It was a no-brainer. The only problem is that no-brainers don’t require any
thinking.

Justice, mercy and faithfulness require thought. The first
time I heard Gary Haugen from the International Justice Mission talk about
slavery and human trafficking in the world today, it was a bit overwhelming. It
was both hard to believe and horrifying at the same time.

I wanted to retreat back into the comfort and safety of my
spiritual life. I pray, read my Bible, tithe, serve God and His people. Isn’t
that enough? Now, I had to think about millions of men, women and children
enslaved throughout the world including the United States of America. Could I
just write a check and then sit back, relax and enjoy the flight?

What would you rather not think about? When are you tempted
to change the channel on your TV or in your mind? How are you seeking out the
safety of autopilot? God put you and me on this planet to make a difference.
What do you feel compelled to do?

It’s easy to attend church every Sunday, and then retreat to
our suburban homes. There’s nothing wrong with that. Unless we’re like the
priest and the Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan who would rather
cross over to the other side of the road and not get involved. Jesus’ mission
is to seek and save the lost. What could be more fulfilling than being
on-mission with Jesus?

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Everything they do is done for people to see: They make
their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the
place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they
love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by
others.

Matthew
23:5-7

Insecure
people need to feel they are better than others. They like to brag and show
off. They like to keep others guessing simply because they like other people to
think about them. They like to intrigue simply because they enjoy the
attention. TMZ was made for them.

This
passage is kind of funny to me, because the things that were so valued by the
religious leaders of Jesus’ day really don’t make any sense to us today.
Honestly, most of us wouldn’t recognize a phylactery if it hit us on the head.
We don’t even know how to pronounce it.

Phylacteries
came out of a literal interpretation of the Law. “Fix these words of mine in
your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your
foreheads” (Deuteronomy 11:18). An interpretation of these words would mean to
“get God’s Word into your thoughts.” The religious leaders took this literally
and would put slips of paper containing verses in leather boxes, and then attach
them to their heads.

If
God’s Word wasn’t in their head, at least it was right next door. Somehow it
might seep in by osmosis. I don’t believe that this will start any new
Christian trends, but I’m also never surprised.

While the religious customs in these verses aren’t
meaningful to us, the question is whether we do spiritual things out of
sincerity or for show. Is our motive to impress or to inspire? The problem is
that by drawing attention to ourselves, we draw attention away from God. For
some, our religious behavior might even put an obstacle in their path to God.

What do you try to do that lets people know you’re okay
spiritually (or superior)? Do you raise your hands in worship out of routine?
Do you “spontaneously” do the same thing every Sunday? Do you dress a certain
way? Do you talk a different way at church than you do in other places?

What part of your reputation is necessary for you to feel
okay about yourself? Do you need to blend in? Or, do you need to stand out? Do
you need to do everything just right? Or, do you need to be outrageous?

God wants to entirely fulfill your life. God wants you to be
secure and confident in who He has created you to be. God desires for you to
have a quiet strength that doesn’t require bragging or boasting. God wants to
give you the life that you’ve dreamed of. Are you willing to receive it?

Monday, January 19, 2015

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit
in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do
not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up
heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they
themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

Matthew
23:1-4

None of us is actually as good as we claim to be. After all,
what we believe are the things that we actually do. If I say that it’s
important to exercise, yet I never exercise, I actually don’t believe what I
said. If I say that it’s important to live by Christian values, yet I don’t
forgive someone who offends me, then I don’t believe that either, do I?

Don’t get me wrong. This doesn’t mean that we should abandon
all attempts to try new things or to improve. It’s one thing to grow toward
something. It’s quite a different thing to say that you live by a standard that
you never really intend to live by. This is where the Pharisees lived.

The Pharisees had great expectations for the behavior of
others. They just didn’t feel obliged to comply themselves. Their lives were
focused on where the rubber meets the air, not where the rubber meets the road.
They were all bark, and no bite. They didn’t practice what they preached.

The people who listened to them were ready to challenge the
Pharisees to put up or shut up, but Jesus cautioned them. The Pharisees were
given authority that was handed down from Moses. They were terrible examples of
righteousness. Personally, they were spiritual wrecks. Their lives didn’t
command much respect, but their position did.

But, how could they submit themselves to the authority of
two-faced, back-biting, lying, corrupt, deceitful, no good, sons of Abraham? By
not allowing the Pharisees to hinder them, they submitted to God.

When you can’t control other’s bad behavior, you can control
yourself. Your job is not to right every wrong. You are not a superhero. In the
midst of rampant disobedience, you can choose to obey. That’s all God wants.

If you choose to fit in with the Christian club, you can
actually forfeit fitting in with God. You can follow all of the rules and still
lose the game.

Where do you see hypocrisy these days? What are you tempted
to do about it? Let me encourage you to give that work over to God. Let your
focus remain on obeying God yourself regardless of how you feel or what others
are doing.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that
of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the
kingdom of heaven. Matthew
5:20

In Jesus’ day, the epitome of righteousness were the
Pharisees, a Jewish sect who strictly observed the Law. In the minds of some,
they were model Jews. They defined what righteous behavior should look like.
They weren’t cut from a different cloth. They just played the game well.

The righteousness of the Pharisees was less about pleasing
God and more about fitting into a religious culture. Their efforts weren’t
applied to spiritual growth as much as policing the boundaries. A righteous
person could neglect his aging parents (Mark 7:10-12), but as long as he didn’t
work on the Sabbath, he was still righteous. It was more about fitting in than
depending on God. When was the last time you felt completely out of place?
Whether you didn’t feel cool enough, or you were awkwardly aware that your
manners weren’t up to par, or you simply couldn’t add to the conversation
because you didn’t even understand it. No
one likes to feel out of place.

When I was 19 years old, I traveled for36 hours to Hong Kong
for a Summer mission trip. While Hong Kong at the time was a British colony and
shared a common language, there were many things that I didn’t understand. What
I learned quickly was that I should never insult my hosts by refusing anything
they offered. They had to save face.

I complied with everything they directed me to do. I tried
everything they offered me to eat. But, when the dining began to involved
pickled cow intestines at the Korean Barbecue and chicken feet with our Dim
Sum, I became wise to the fact that they were just playing with me. I couldn’t
call them on it or else they would lose face. But, I also didn’t have to eat
with them either. McDonald’s and Denny’s were just down the street.

Human standards always fall below God’s standards. Religion
is not meant to elevate people, but to control them and possibly to attempt to
control God. A relationship with God allows Him to enter into our world and
give us what we can never earn – faith and grace and righteousness.

There is a certain safety in religion. It has a scorecard.
Grace is risky. We have immunity regardless of our performance. That’s very
hard to reconcile.

Paul Young, the author of The Shack, tells this story:

A man died and went to Heaven. He soon stood before Saint
Peter, who asked, “Here’s the deal, in order to get into Heaven you have to
have 100 points based on the good things you’ve done on earth.”

The man replied, “Well, I spent the last 30 years caring for
the poor, working in soup kitchens, housing and clothing the homeless.”

Peter said, “Okay, I’ll give you a point for that.”

The man was a bit astonished. Thirty years of service only
amounted to one point out of 100. He said, “I served as a pastor for 25 years.
I counseled the distraught. I performed weddings and funerals. I cared for the
needs of my congregation.”

Peter replied, “Okay, I’ll give you another point for that.”

“Two points,” the man thought to himself. “How will I ever
get in?”

Just about that time another man walked up and went straight
through the pearly gates. The first man turned to Peter rather perplexed and
asked, “What about him?”

Peter smirked, “Oh, he doesn’t play this game.”

Stop playing the game. Stop working hard to be someone that
you’re not. Be yourself, and let God work on the rest.

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Thursday, January 15, 2015

The Lord says: “These
people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their
hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they
have been taught. Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder
upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the
intelligent will vanish.” Isaiah 29:13-14

Boy,
a verse like that makes you want to point a finger and pound a pulpit. But,
let’s take a breath and act like these words were spoken to us. Let’s read this
passage again:

“The Master said: These people make a big show of saying the
right thing, but their hearts aren't in it. Because they act like they're
worshiping me but don't mean it, I'm going to step in and shock them awake,
astonish them, stand them on their ears. The wise ones who had it all figured
out will be exposed as fools. The smart people who thought they knew everything
will turn out to know nothing" (Isaiah 29:13-14, Msg).

God knows when we’re just playing the game. How does He
know? He knows everything. He knows our thoughts and our motives. In fact, God
understands more about us than we even understand about ourselves.

We might be able to fake it and look pretty good to other
people, but it’s not a long-term plan. If the outside doesn’t match the inside,
then eventually the whole thing breaks down. If you don’t believe that, then
your train wreck is still on its way.

God is a Jealous God (Exodus 34:14). He doesn’t want you to
merely serve a coping mechanism. God wants our full devotion. He will do
whatever it takes for you to put Him in the center. Why? Is God selfish?
Absolutely not. God wants to be in the center of your life because that’s how
you were designed to live.

Notice, that God isn’t going to punish you into submission.
He is going to “wow” you there. In all of these things that you wrestle with
and worry about, God is trying to tell you, “I’ve got it. Don’t worry. Let me
blow you away with what I can do for you.”

No one falls in love with someone who scolds them, except
for the affection of a few American Idol contestants toward Simon Cowell. You
love people who are affectionate and kind and thoughtful. You fall in love with
people who go to crazy lengths to demonstrate their love. (Please note: this is
not license for stalkers).

God understands you. He isn’t scheming about how He can
punish you more so He can win your affection. That’s really kind of sick. God
wants to lavish you with His great power and love. Now, you might find yourself
in a terrible situation that requires God’s great power, but that doesn’t mean
that He has stopped loving you.

What are you doing that your heart is just not in? How are
you pretending to be better than what you are? I’m not saying that you should unleash
the seething beast that lives just below the surface, but I would encourage you
to take that to God and figure out why it’s there.

If you just don’t feel that you desire God these days, I’ve
heard a pastor advise his church members to stay away from church services
until they want to be there again. When you feel that you can truly worship,
and put your head and heart into it, then come back.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and
useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by
which we draw near to God. Hebrews 7:18-19

The
Law is weak and useless because it only leads to hopelessness. The Law defeats,
while hope proclaims victory. The Law highlights error. Hope overcomes.

What
has ever succeeded in your life that you felt hopeless about? Nothing. It might
have succeeded to fail, but nothing positive came from it.

The
goal of the Christian journey isn’t to walk with our heads down feeling
defeated. That doesn’t mean that we won’t endure difficult things. At the end
of every difficult thing, we will also find hope.

“We
can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they
help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and
character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not
lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has
given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:3-5, NLT).

It’s
a little hard to believe that we run a better chance of gaining hope from our
problems and trials than we do from following the old covenant. We can be right
and feel miserable, or we can be completely accepted by God and have hope.

As
Rick Warren says, “You can live a month without food. You can live three days
without water. You can live a few minutes without oxygen. But, you can’t live a
second without hope.”

How’s
your hope? Do you find yourself hope-full or hope-less these days? I will leave
you today with a blessing from Paul – “I pray that God, the source of hope,
will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you
will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans
15:13, NLT).

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical
priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that
priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the
order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is
changed, the law must be changed also. He of whom these things are said
belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at
the altar. For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to
that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

Hebrews
7:11-14

The
writer of Hebrews is sort of playing with his readers here. If people could
live perfect lives, then the priesthood wouldn’t have been necessary. If there
is no offense, then there is no redemption. If sin didn’t disrupt their
relationship with God, then they didn’t need a priest to mediate for them.

The
priesthood of Aaron resulted from the Law (Exodus 28). People would eventually
violate the Law and needed some way to atone for their sins. If everyone obeyed
the federal, state, county and municipal laws today, then courts would be
unnecessary. Jails would be unnecessary. If there were no lawbreakers, there
would be no prisoners. If there were no sinners, there would be no sacrifices.

When
the people of Israel sinned, they paid the price with an animal sacrifice. The
Law dictated that their offense should cost them something. The problem was
that the redemption was external. All of the sacrifices in the world couldn’t
erase their guilt and shame.

Their
religious system was working as well as it could. The Law defined right
behavior and the priesthood mediated for wrong behavior. But, as Andy Stanley
says, “Your system is perfectly designed to achieve the result you are
getting.” As long as the religiously frustrated fell short, business was
booming for the priesthood. What they were doing wasn’t getting them to where
they wanted to go.

The
writer, then, refers to a real, but nearly mythical priest, Melchizedek. Before
the Law of Moses, Abraham had paid a tithe to this priest before tithing was
even dictated (Genesis 14:18-20). Melchizedek’s priesthood was apart from the
Law. The point the writer makes is that Jesus, the Great High Priest (Hebrews
4:14-15) also operates outside of the Law. Jesus wasn’t subject to the Law
because He lived a perfectly sinless life and fulfilled the Law. The system
wasn’t the Savior.

The
only thing the Law does for any of us is point out how bad we are (Romans 3:20).
For most, this doesn’t lead to a concerted effort to improve. It leads to guilt
that typically gets drowned in something somewhere. But, what if our sin and
guilt could be removed? What if there was a better way?

Jesus
provides that better way. Even Christians live defeated lives because they are
ashamed of themselves and of their behavior. Jesus didn’t die so you would be
ashamed. Jesus died so you could be free.

None
of us is perfect. We all have plenty of room to grow and certainly need
improvement. But, God doesn’t work in our lives by reminding us of how terrible
we are. God starts with how much He loves us and with His vision for our lives.

Guilt
doesn’t motivate anyone toward healthy things. God knows that. That’s why God
removes our guilt and shame so we can get on with who He’s called us to be.

What
guilt are you carrying today? If you’ve offended someone, then apologize. If
you have sinned, repent. If you think
God is mad at you, think again.

Monday, January 12, 2015

For if there had been nothing wrong with that first
covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with
the people and said:

“The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a
new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will
not be like the covenant I made with
their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt,

because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the
Lord.

This is the covenant I will establish with the people of
Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my
people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know
the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the
greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no
more.”

By calling this
covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and
outdated will soon disappear. Hebrews 8:7-13

The
Letter to the Hebrews was written to a group of Jewish Christians who considered
returning to Judaism and the old covenant. They were a bit unnerved by their
newfound freedom and were ready to return to the bondage of the Law. People often
find comfort in familiar surroundings.

We
are creatures of habit. We park in the same space at work almost daily. We
order the same dishes in the same restaurants. We buy the same brand that we’ve
used for years. Why re-decide every time? It’s just too much work.

I
sit at the same table in the same coffee shop where I write these devotionals.
When I came in this morning, only one person was seated in the entire place. He
was sitting at my table. But, after a little prayer, he left, and my writing
routine was back to normal. (To clarify – my prayer wasn’t for him to leave,
though it was my secret ambition.)

Human
nature tends toward rules and patterns. Rules are safe. If we never watch
television, then we don’t have to avert our eyes when Victoria’s Secret
commercials come on. If we never talked, we would never insult someone or tell
a lie. If we never ate, then we would never over-eat. But, it’s not that simple
is it?

We
could choose to avoid alcohol, tobacco or desserts, but we have to eat. If
we’re eating something we don’t like, it’s easy to quit. But, if we’re eating
something delicious, it’s hard to refuse another helping. And, if we’re
stressed out, then it’s easy to dive into a vat of Ben and Jerry’s. But, where
and when did our eating interfere with our relationship with God? Where’s the
line?

Rules
keep things nice and neat. The problem is that life is messy. When the
toothpaste doesn’t go back into the tube, sometimes the best thing we can do is
to admit that we made a mess.

The
old covenant or the Law specialized in pointing out our faults (Romans 3:20).
The new covenant offers unconditional acceptance. The Law of Gravity says that
what goes up must come done. The new covenant provides a safety net. God’s
grace allows for an “oops,” but prevents a splat.

The
old covenant placed a burden on people. The new covenant works from the inside
out. “I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts”
(Hebrews 8:10).

What’s eating at you these days? What is getting the best of
you? God will “strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner
being” (Ephesians 3:16).

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the
Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell
you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least
stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is
accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these
commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of
heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great
in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew
5:17-19

We
have a funny relationship with the Old Testament Law. Some of us run from it.
The Law is so, uh, legalistic. Others run to it. For some, rules make things
safe. For others, rules make for rebellion.

Once
upon a time, the “Law” was only one command: “You are free to eat from any tree
in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Adam and Eve didn’t
have to worry about taking the Lord’s Name in vain or honoring their fathers
and their mothers (think about it), or coveting their neighbor’s stuff (again).
They just needed to eat everything else in the entire garden, except for the
fruit of this one tree. That was the entire Law. Easy enough, right?

But,
once Adam and Eve tasted of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, there were all
kinds of options. Sin could now be nuanced from the bizarre to the mundane. The
world was their oyster, and suddenly they were allergic to shellfish.

God
didn’t give the Law to curtail human joy. God didn’t give the Law merely to educate
us on infectious skin diseases. God gave the Law because He knew what was good
and what wasn’t good for people.

People
who were once free to live and enjoy all that God created had now died
spiritually and were exposed to evil for the first time. People needed
boundaries so they wouldn’t destroy themselves. Yes, they had knowledge, but
they lacked wisdom.

The
Law wasn’t the total solution. First of all, no one could keep the entire Law.
No one was that good. Since perfection is impossible, the focus fell of keeping
a portion of the Law that was more manageable. After all, as long as you fit
into your religious culture, you’re okay, right?

The
definition of devotion fell to the religious leaders of the day. They
determined what should and should not be done. They knew how to work the system
(Matthew 23:25), and they knew how to manipulate the loop holes (Mark 7:10-12).
The Law became convenient to some and controlling to others. It was a heavy
burden.

Jesus
is the complete fulfillment of the Law. He is the only person to live a perfect
life and never sin. The Law wasn’t a heavy burden placed upon Him. The Law was
in Him. He focused on the “Shalts” and didn’t make it to the “Shalt Nots.”

The
Pharisees and religious leaders didn’t approve of Jesus’ actions. After all,
Jesus broke their rules – He healed on the Sabbath, He ate with sinners, He
didn’t wash His hands correctly – Jesus bucked the system, but He fulfilled the
Law.

The
question for us is whether we’re following the Truth of God’s Word or fitting
into a religious system. They aren’t the same thing.

Years
ago, my home church held a business meeting to determine whether we would
change the Sunday evening service time from starting at 7 pm to starting at 6
pm. It was a big deal. By unanimous consent and the will of God, the time was
changed.

I
would no longer be tempted by the previews of the Wonderful World of Disney or
Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. Now, we went to church immediately after dinner
and went to bed shortly after we got home.

But,
here’s the thing – when we examine Scripture, we don’t see a Sunday night
service at 6 pm or 7 pm. We also don’t see a Sunday morning service. We also
don’t see from Scripture that we should have four songs, three points and a
poem in our services. It’s tradition. It’s not unbiblical, but it’s part of our
religious system.

Don’t
get me wrong. I have nothing against church services. Believers are instructed
to meet together (Hebrews 10:25). The early church met in public places and in
homes (Acts 5:42). The question is – have our habits shaped our understanding
of what God requires? Do we make assumptions about what the Bible says based on
what we’ve always done or have always thought?

Often
evangelicals look down on other churches because of their traditions, yet how
many evangelical traditions have become sacred over the last hundred years
without thinking whether our actions were truly biblical? When we judge others
and determine that they aren’t good enough to fellowship in our circles are we
reflecting Jesus? When others don’t play by our rules, do we hold on to our
rules or do we reach out to them? Do we even know God’s Word well enough to
gracefully live out God’s commands?

What
part of your Christian walk are you struggling with these days? Is it because
of sin? Is it because of someone else’s interpretation of what God expects? If
you don’t know what to do, ask God. He will clue you in.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may
become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and
crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as
you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the
day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

Philippians
2:14-16

For some of us, these verses seem impossible. Grumbling and
complaining might feel like breathing. Or, if it’s not a complaint, it comes
out as sarcasm. Whether our snide remarks are resentful or recreational, they
reflect the condition of our hearts.

Grumbling and complaining comes from the simple fact that
the world is not as we think it should be. Whether our expectations are
realistic or not, when our lives don’t measure up to our expectations, we
grumble and complain. When our lives are less than what we think they should
be, we grow resentful and sometimes angry.

The problem, according to this passage, is that grumbling
and arguing are obstacles to becoming blameless and pure. The ugliness of our
attitudes corrupts the purity of our souls. When we are saved, God declares us
to be righteous (Romans 4:5) and purifies our hearts (Hebrews 10:21-22).
Negative attitudes can pollute what God has purified.

Sometimes we excuse our attitudes, because of the world that
we live in and what we have to deal with. The world is an unfair and an unjust
place. Just watch the evening news – there’s plenty to be bitter about. Just
look at how people treat each other – there’s plenty to resent.

Don’t you find it odd that the first century A.D. was
regarded as “warped and crooked”? If that generation was warped and crooked,
then what does that make our generation? They didn’t even have Lady Gaga back
then.

Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians from prison. That
wasn’t fair. Why wasn’t Paul bitter? Paul knew, as we know, that neither people
nor evil are ultimately in charge of the universe. God is.

One day, every wrong will be righted (Revelation 19:11). One
day, justice will prevail and evil will disappear (Revelation 20:10). Until
that day, we must choose to trust that God loves us, He has a plan for us, and
He knows what we’re dealing with. If we choose to trust rather than complain,
then we “shine among them like stars in the sky.”

What are you known for these days – the light of Christ or
grumbling and complaining? Complaining is really just a bad habit. There are
times to bring things up. But, if the person that we’re talking to is not part
of the problem or part of the solution, then it’s just grumbling and gossip.

It’s our choice to either become blameless, pure and bright
or grumbling, complaining and dull. God will help us shine like stars. If we
choose the other path, we’re on our own, consequences and all.